First Layer In And Working On The Second.

PART II

After lunch I hurried Alan home to get a bit of work done on the quilt. It was quite productive.

 The first layer of the quilt has been stippled into place, using smoke coloured 'invisible' thread.  On this sort of background and using smoke which doesn't catch the light as much as the clear thread, I agree with  Noriko Endo, you have to use touch to tell where you have quilted.

A Quilt in Progress

PART I

Full of renewed energy after Christmas, I decided to start work on a new small quilt, using the Confetti style of Woodland Stroll.  I wanted it to be a quilt that would be in harmony with that one.  

To add a bit more interest, I decided to Blog the quilt as I made it.  This will hopefully only be about three blogs, but if life intervenes (which given that today is New Years Eve, it may well do), the quilt may take a bit longer than anticipated!

Here is the photo I am working from.  I am not seeking to copy this photo exactly, it is just for inspiration.

Flora & Fauna Quilt Exhibition, Singapore

Once again I was lucky enough to be able to showcase two of my quilts in the Flora & Fauna quilt exhibition, that took place in the Singapore Botanical Gardens.

With Hannah, posing in front of Langtry.  I had to ask permission to take a photo in front of my own quilt, which was funny!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONE & ALL

It looks like this Santa has been caught with his pants down, just before Christmas!

To answer some the questions about the quilt.

A book is available, called Confetti Naturescapes.  Just click to link to Dragon Threads (great name), who publish the book.  I bought it and had it signed - what a groupie!  It is mostly pictures and information about her quilts, rather than a how to book.  The actual process of making the quilts, is on about 12 pages.

The question about using glue instead of netting or tulle was almost my first thought, until I understood the process.

You can't glue the fabric to be stuck down, as you are talking about very small pieces.  Obviously you can't glue prior to cutting or you would just be left with a gummy mess and a ruined rotary cutter blade.

Look What I Made!

On Sunday I took a class with Noriko Endo, to learn her confetti technique.

This is my finished quilt, Woodland Stroll.

Norah Has A Sleepover

Part XI of The Battys.

Against my better judgement, I gave in to Norah's whine about not liking sleeping alone.  

Norah said she feels lonely by herself, but I had to tell her straight, I was not getting into bed with her.  All that plastic and my hormones (or lack of), definitely not a good mix!  I chose to ignore the pleading look she shot Alan, and he knew better than to give in to her batting eyelashes.  Finally I told her to just invite Little Red and Blondie over.  Ever feel like you have been manipulated?

Norah Finds Her Groove

Part XI of The Battys.

I keep getting these messages asking to see my paintings.  Well the truth is, I haven't had a chance to work in the studio because it got taken over by the Battys.

It all started when Norah, after seeing me painting, decided that she too would have a go.  She got out her paper, paints and textbook and off she started.

And He Had The Cheek To Talk About My Dubious Dress Sense!

One of the truly wonderful things about having your own blog when you are married, is that you win every argument, simply by screaming 'I'll post that on my blog', every time he really annoys you.  Actually, I post things about Alan just because I can!

Some postings back, Alan wrote a comment about a hat I was wearing, calling me something like a '1980s fashion victim who looked like she had just stepped off the stage at the London Palladium'!  Okay, even for my legendary good humour, that was pushing it just a tad too far.  It was then exacerbated by my cousin telling my uncle that I had dubious taste in clothing because of the yellow outfit I wore in the Deliverance video.  My uncle only added to the insults by telling his son for some reason that the outfit was my pyjamas!

So here and now, and with this picture I scotch several myths floating around at the moment.

• He calls ME a fashion victim?  Even in Benin that outfit stood out!  Come on, I ask you?  Which is worse, me in the hat or Alan in his Benin outfit?  No I DIDN'T say funniest.
• This outfit does not belong to me as evidenced by the photo of Alan wearing it in the tailor's market shop.
• I don't wear pyjamas, but if I did, would I be likely to wear a pair that would actually glow in the dark?  No, this is Alan's outfit and it is NOT pyjamas.

Yes I know exactly what you want to know.  Has he ever worn them outside the house?  Actually he wears it most days to work, along with a Mobutu style leopardskin hat.  As I said, my blog and I can say what I like, it doesn't have to be the truth you know!

Raybould's Reviews

For those of you who have never seen this, and who have never quite grasped my musical talents, enjoy!

Click here to watch it on YouTube where the quality is better!

Getting One Over On Alan

Ladies, what do you do when your husband comes home on a Saturday night, having imbibed one drink too many?

 Well, you could leave him to sleep it off on the sofa...

The Elevator Bar on 5

Part X of The Battys

Never let it be said that Alan passes up an opportunity to make some money.  During the flood crisis in Bangkok, Alan saw a niche opening up, when the communal bar from our condo was brought upstairs away from the possible flood danger, and surprise surprise, ended up outside our door, next to the elevators.  Knowing that expats would keep on drinking to the bitter end, he saw it as a way for them to keep their feet dry at the same time.  He therefore opened a bar in the hall outside of our apartment, called The Elevator Bar on 5.

The Elevator Bar on 5 opened yesterday.  To celebrate the grand opening. Alan had his hair coloured and permed for the occasion.  He said David Beckham used him as his style guru, and he was pretty sure this look would catch on with David.

John Falls For Norah's Dubious Charms

Part IX of The Battys

We have had some more trouble with Norah over the last week.  As you know, our friends came to stay with us, and almost immediately, it became clear that John and Norah liked each other.  Now under normal circumstances that would have been okay, but John is a married man.

You can see that Norah made the first move.  Just look at the shameless way she got all cosy with John.  Mind you, dressed like that, it is no wonder that he fell for her dubious charms.

Is That Even Legal?!

Yesterday I went for my annual check up at BNH hospital.  For those of you who do not know Thailand, it is a modern, smart hospital, used by ex-pats and Thais with some money.  They are forever promoting something or the other when I visit, and yesterday, having time on my hands, I for once actually read the posters.  Maybe I should do so more often.

You really need to read it.

 6 YEARS OLD!!!  IS SHE NUTS??!  
Surely no sane woman has a 6 year old kid chomping on her nipples.  At what age does it go onto solids?  Does he go onto formula first?  What happens in public?  Has this woman NEVER seen the Little Britain sketch of a grown man in his 30s being breast fed by his mother in public?  Come on!

But wait, it gets worse - read the small print.

SHE BREAST FED A PATIENT'S BABY!!!
Really, am I the only person creeped out by this?  What is she, wet nurse and doctor, all rolled into one? Could she not have expressed the milk?  Did she feed that baby until aged 6 too?  I think all that sucking has sucked the use of the English language right out of her along with her brains!

This is not the sort of person I want in my circle of friends.  Can you imagine going out to lunch?  She'll be grabbing passing babies and shoving them on her left boob, whilst the right is firmly stuck into her 6 year old's mouth.  YUK YUK YUK!!!  This all just sounds a bit - well you know- OFF.

For those of you who have never seen Little Britain click here and you'll know exactly what I am talking about - don't worry, it isn't porn!

Sam and Ben go Batty over Norah!

Part VIII of The Battys
I have noticed that Norah has a strange effect over men, no matter what their age.  She is like a spider pulling them into her web.

Sam is a kind boy, who asked Norah to sit next to him at dinner.  Sam thought that Norah wanted his company, but as usual, she was out for what she could get.

Isn't it pathetic the way Norah is pleading with Sam for some of his dinner.  Just look at the way she is badgering the poor lad, and she has her own full plate anyway.

Hannah Gives Norah A Tough Time

Part VII of The Battys.
After all the problems I have had with Blondie and Little Red recently, it was nice to see them come over to help prepare for the arrival of the Chalmers gang.

What a shock!

To cut a very long story short, I ended up on Friends Reunited this evening, probably the first time since I joined it, only to find this photo of me at school in 1973.  That's me with the white hairband.  I am so shocked.  I don't have a single photo of me at school - really, I just had no idea what I looked like as a school kid.  I feel stunned to have found this.  How funny that it should turn up now as I am pulling out these old photos.  I'm absolutely stunned.

Me and Harry Potter

Did I ever tell you that I once went on holiday with Harry Potter?

Another Suit For Chris!

Okay, I think this is the only other picture I have of a young me in a suit.

This is when my father remarried my wonderful American stepmother Flo (well technically ex) in the UK.  I think I was about 19 or 20.  I am the one with the hat!  If I remember rightly, the hat was Flo's.  The suit was a sort of cream colour with little diamonte on the padded shoulders.  I notice that I actually have a pair of heels on, probably the only photo of me with heels to exist.

Is My Husband Cheating On Me?

Part VI of The Battys
I was asked why the Battys left our apartment, and why only Blondie and Little Red. It pains me to say it, but I think Alan may have preferred them over me.  In fact, I think there may have been a bit of fun and games going on when I wasn't around.

The first clue that all was not as it should be, was that Blondie and especially Little Red, were always preening just before Alan went to work, or was about to come home.

Birthday indulgence

Yesterday was my birthday, something that I am beginning to dread as they come with ever greater alacrity.  What happened to the days when I was so excited that it was my birthday?

I guess I was 4!

Who's Cooking Tonight?

Part V of The Battys
Oh boy.  The Batty's came back today to cook a special meal for us.  I think Alan must have arranged it when he heard we were going to have my home made pizza for dinner.  I really don't understand why he doesn't like it.  He has banned me from making pizza (no word of a lie) saying that even Kathi's teach-in did nothing to improve the brick-hard remnants that emerge from the oven!  You have to admit that is harsh.

 Blondie was at the stove straight away.   Just look at her eager little face.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Part IV of The Battys

Click here to view on You Tube

Oh come on, like you have never tried to scupper your friend's chances with men, so that you can get in there first!

Those Special People We Meet Along The Way

Part III of The Battys - for those who really have nothing better to do with their time. 

Click here for You Tube link if you have problems viewing this video

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN!

Our friend John, has been toiling for some years now, trying to finish up his masters degree, whilst holding down a very demanding job, being a husband, father and wonderful friend.

Yesterday he got the news that he passed with distinction!  What a star!!!!!

So, please forgive this moment of indulgence from his wife and friends.

Click here for You Tube if you experience problems viewing this video.

PS only a small amount of booze was consumed!

Well done John!!!

New Home

Part II of The Battys
I just got word from Jill that Blondie and Little Red have made it to their new home.

The Battys Have Gone!

Part I of The Battys
Do any of you remember my visitors the Battys?  They came in late July and NEVER LEFT.  I don't think they had ever heard the old adage about visitors, fish and smelling after a few days.  Anyway, two of them left yesterday, and you'll be pleased to know that your favourite correspondent was there to record it all.
Norah, Little Red and Blondie bathed before leaving for their new home.

Blondie always spends forever in the shower, which is really irritating.

Today I swear I'm not doing anything!

Okay, I know that I have been musically left behind in the 80s, a New Romantic at heart (pass me a ruffled shirt), so I am always the last to find out about some fun song.  Whilst in France I heard this song EVERY day at least once and fell in love with it.  Of course my Mojo and Uncut reading, keep up with the music husband knew it, so why had he never told me?  

For those of you who don't know it, you just have to listen to The Lazy Song.  We all have those days.  We while away the time doing absolutely nothing, and happily fill the day that way.  Today for various reasons, became one of those days for me.  I sat in front of YouTube (what better way to do nothing), and ended up hooked on watching different versions of this song.  I ended up in fits of laughter and then bought the song from i-tunes.  There were far more versions, but I have selected a few for you to find one to love.

Go on, have fun with them all.  I promise it will cheer your day up no end!

I JUST POSTED THIS & THEN REALISED THAT YOU CAN'T PLAY ANY EXCEPT THE LAST DVD, WHICH IS CENSORED FOR SOME REASON, SO JUST HIT THE LINKS I HAVE POSTED UNDERNEATH.  SORRY!

The Official Video For Purists

Click here for link to YouTube

More Quilts

When we decided to rent our house in France way back in 2004, I made a few quilts to decorate the house and added one I made the previous year.  I honestly thought they wouldn't survive, what with children touching them etc.  However, apart from needing a good shake to get the fluff off, they are fine.

Sparks Fly 
I made this quilt in April 2003.  I had purchased some variegated, fusible bias tape and wanted to play with it.  I wasn't into the celtic design quits that it was generally used for, but adaption is everything, right?

Just Enough Time For One More Post!

I found another playful photo for you.  Given the subject matter of the last post, I probably won't be staying here myself.

Actually, I bet not many men stay here either!

Of Menopause and Quilts

At the risk of raising this old nugget again, we know that God is not a woman, right?  How?  Well we only need look at the menopause.  The male menopause is really quite laughable.  They get sports cars, younger women and okay, maybe a bit of testicular droop, but wouldn't you swap that for the raging hot flushes, night sweats, mood swings, dry skin, sagging bits and facial hair that we have ended up with?  Where is my Porsche and where oh where is my young hottie???

Well this was all on my mind over the last week as I neared my 6-monthly gynaecologist appointment.  I am in what is called the peri-menopause.  Well, that is a lot better than what I was in, according to Singaporeans.  When I went, in my mid(ish) forties as the symptoms started to appear, I was given a book by my gynaecologist called 'Your Golden Years'.  Sorry but NO WAY am I going to tell people that I am suffering from my Golden Years.  

Well, whatever you call it, for me it has not been an easy road.  Like most of the women I know on this well trodden path, we are kept sane by a mixture of HRT and laughter.  I thank the good Lord for sending me a supportive bunch of friends, a great gynaecologist and the most fantastic husband, who has been nothing if not supportive and caring about this time, stage or whatever you want to call it.  Only once did he falter and shout after me as I ripped into him, 'did you forget to take your hormones, dear?', and given the provocation, it was justified!  Well, as it happens I have been taking my hormones, and feel a lot better than I did this time last year.

Okay, where is this going you are now asking yourselves, or maybe that's you I can hear snoring in the background.  Stay with me now, I'm getting to the point.

My friend Shirl and I have been discussing different art techniques.  She posted on her blog a scan of her face, yes as in stuck her head under the scanner lid (her head is small, I mean really really tiny, almost the size of a large pinhead really).   This led me to trying that out too.  Suddenly an idea was born.  I merged this subject with my menopause musings, and made a small quilt, which explored my thoughts about the menopause.  Yeah!  I got to the point in the end!!!

Playful Photos

Have you ever wondered whether your partner would take you back if you had a fling with someone else?  I never have to worry about that, I know my hubby would welcome me back with open arms. 

Or maybe not..!

And whilst on the subject of signs, here are a few more.  The inconvenient convenience was contributed by Alan, which he sent from the men's toilets in his office building.  I have to wonder what he was doing in the men's loo with a camera, and judging by the picture, he had very shaky hands!

He CLAIMS that he went back out to get his camera.

I am constantly amazed by what the cyber world comes up with.  I have no idea why anyone would want this product or what they would do with it.  Please feel free to post your ideas.

S - don't buy one of these cameras, who knows what will happen when you hit the shoot button!

Okay, I know I can be a bit sick with what I find funny, but did anyone else see this news item?  Not to make light of it or anything, but isn't this a bit like shutting the stable door after the horse had bolted?!
Tibetan monk who set himself on fire is cremated
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
A monk who set himself on fire in an ethnically Tibetan region of western China has been cremated.
The Free Tibet campaign in London says 29-year-old Tsewang Norbu died Monday after dousing himself with gasoline and setting himself on fire in Daofu county.
The official Xinhua News Agency says the monk's body was cremated Wednesday in accordance with Tibetan rituals. It says family members and monks attended his funeral.

Before I close, I know people were very worried about my friend Tom and what happened to him after he put the bird poop in his mouth.  When I asked him about it, Tom said he swallowed the poop as he didn't now what else to do with it in the circumstances (spit it out, gag and vomit are the first things to enter my mind, let alone rush to the nearest hospital).  Well, I checked up with Jerry, to find out if Tom was really okay.  He said he was, and sent me a picture to reassure me.

Here is Tom, looking the same as ever.

Jerry did say he had noticed one strange thing though.  Tom has now signed up with Twitter and can be found Tweeting all day long!!!

Oh wow, look at those tiles man!

If my post sounds unusually chirpy, it may be because I have been glue sniffing!  Oh wow!  Just look at those colours man!  Oh, I have the munchies!  

Actually, they are working on the apartment downstairs, and are fitting new tiles.  The fumes are so strong, you just would not believe it.  I thought I would pass out in the lift.  

Maybe the workers were overpowered with fumes when they fitted the cheap, Chinese, piece of crap tiles in our kitchen (excuse the language).

Those tiles do not look like that because I never wash them.  Actually I don't ever wash them, Sam our helper does, but anyway, you know what I mean.  They are like that because they are cheap and nasty.  The glue underneath them has somehow marked the tiles.  Of course this didn't show until the kitchen (which was newly installed for us) had been used for several months.  What a waste of money.  Of course they can't be changed without a great deal of drilling up.  We also have the same tiles in our back hallway, which have also gone like this.  

There really is something to be said for not buying cheap.  I'm not sure why I think you would care about my floor tiles, but its my blog, so I can moan if I want to.

Well I guess the glue soon wore off!!!

Anyway...

I went for my walk to the supermarket and as I passed this sign for some apartments for the hundredth time I thought, I know I'll post this on the blog.  I mean, what were they thinking?!

Now, I don't want to give the name of the person that this happened to, but it wasn't me and it wasn't Alan.  

I have two friends, lets call them Tom and Jerry.  I don't know why I should call them that.  I was going to call them Frick and Frack, which I thought was the name of two cartoon chipmunks, which I thought rather cute.  However a quick and fortuitous look at Wikipedia, informed me that Americans use that as a term of derision for two people.  So Tom and Jerry they now are.  Where was I?  

Oh yes, Tom and Jerry went out to dinner last night at a French restaurant, run by a Thai chef.  It is a very 'local' place.  Tom and Jerry like to sit outside in the gutter area where the chef cooks.  Yes this really is true.  They sit there waiting for their steak, or foie gras, sipping some cheap wine and breathing in the exhaust, as yet another construction lorry manoeuvres its way past them.  Yes, they know a romantic spot when they see it.  

Tom had dessert, some sort of mousse I think.  He polished the lot off.  When the chef came past and asked was it good, Tom said great!  To prove the point he put his finger in the puddle of dessert that was sitting on the table and stuck it in his mouth.  Keeping a smile on his face, he managed to choke out: "Great".  What had he run his finger through and put so greedily in his mouth?  BIRD POOP!!!

Mini Me

This morning I thought, lets have a bit of fun!  Some of you will have seen this, but most people viewing this blog probably haven't.  It was made as part of a spoof television show dvd, that my Coven friends and I made.  The fun for me (apart from the acting), was that I was the only one who knew all the elements of the show we produced.  If you like it, there are more where that came from!

If you are unable to clearly view this video, click here to view it on YouTube.  Also, if anyone out there knows how to make these films show in a larger format on the blog, can you let me know.  Don't forget to add your comments at the end of the post!

My Latest Quilt

Okay, I accept that most people, unless you are one of about three people, will not understand the  name of this quilt - When Kaffe and Chris met Kim at Central

The reference is to my new quilt which I finished last night.  Now, I wouldn't normally name a quilt that gets thrown over a sofa as opposed to hanging on a wall, but this is how I think of this quilt.  Why?

Kaffe Fassett is an American quilter (and knitter), who is known for using an array or different colours and fabrics, to make very lush looking quilts.  I love the look of them, as long as I don't own them - they are way too busy for my taste.

Chris Brinnistool is a friend who made a quilt, the back of which I absolutely loved.  A bit of a backhanded compliment for poor Chris, but she's a quilter, so she gets it.

Central refers to the store where Chris found a hand-full of great fabric by Kaffe Fassett and Amy Butler to name two.  We caused mayhem there on a couple of occasions, choosing fabric for my quilt and a bag Chris is going to make.

So, this quilt is my interpretation of Kaffe's and Chris' quilts, with fabric purchased from Central.  Listen, you can either name your quilts things like 'the splodgy one' or 'sofa quilt' OR, you can just be creative with your naming.  Maybe I should just get a life?

Moving on...

Here you can see the pieced quilt top, spread out on top of the batting and backing fabric on my studio floor.

As working with busy fabric is new to me, it took me some time to get an arrangement that I liked.  I gave up completely on one fabric, as it was just way too much for me.

The picture below shows the quilt spread out across the sewing table.  It can't be sewn this way, as the weight of the quilt stops me being able to 'free motion' the quilt ie, drop the feed dogs down and move the quilt by hand.

Above shows how a big quilt normally looks when I sew it. It has to be bunched up to get it through the small space between the needle and the body of the sewing machine.  It then needs to have a puddle of fabric sitting loosely around the needle, for me to move freely around.  Can you imagine if this was a full King sized quilt?  Well, that's one of the reasons I don't make them!

Here is a close up showing the meandering stitch, sometimes called stippling stitch, that I used.  It uses a lot of thread.  I worked it out.  I used 2.4 km of thread!

When you see one of my quilts, you can usually tell its one of mine as I quilt them to death.  I prefer a flat looking quilt, with texture.  I didn't start this way however.  My first quilt (which I threw away it was so ghastly), looked as though it was stuffed with a family of bumpy rats!

Here is the finished quilt after the binding has been added.  I am going to cherish this quilt, as I won't be making another one for quite a long time, despite the heavy hints from Alan about his study sofa looking bare!  The back of the quilt is just one colour, the bright pink to the right, which was the same fabric I used to bind it.

This is the finished quilt on my sofa.  I can't decide which way around I like best, but it doesn't matter really.

It may be strange to some of you, but there is nothing like sitting on one of my own quilts.  It is a bit like a love affair.  I can touch it and get a wonderful tactile sensation, which on my normal wall hanging quilts, is an absolute no-no.  If I feel ill, I love to pull our other sofa quilt over me, it wraps itself around me and makes me feel safe and snuggly.  Thank goodness I'm not into making the quilts with bits of metal on them.  I could have a nasty accident with a bit of stray metal, and as for poor Alan, he is still trying to forget the time I left the needle in his boxer shorts!

I forgot in all my ramblings to say, that the reason I choose this style of quilt, was because I wanted to interject some colour into my room.

Before you sign off, don't forget to click on The Coven Goes Global bog as I am also posting on there.
Oh, and please leave a comment, even if it is to say, I hate that quilt!